The present invention relates to a protective, fireproof outfit for activities which involve a risk of burns, for example, urban, industrial and forest fire-fighting activities, as well as industrial activities which are carried out in the presence of molten metal, combustibles or high voltages, military and police activities, and for use by drivers of motor vehicles, aircraft pilots, etc.
The invention results from studies and tests carried out by the Applicant in relation to the problem of safety in carrying out the activities identified above.
The Applicant has identified a set of basic principles (some of which are contrary to current technical thinking in this field) which must be satisfied in order to provide the best solution to the aforesaid problem.
A first important principle, the identification of which forms the basis of the present invention, lies in the fact that a safety outfit should be thought of as the combination of all the items of clothing which separate the skin of the person wearing the outfit from the outside environment. Although this finding may seem trivial, it has hitherto been completely ignored by designers in this sector. In fact, designers have limited themselves to providing an outer protective covering for the person without paying attention to the undergarments.
A second important principle which may also seem trivial at first sight but which has also always been ignored hitherto in the design of safety outfits is the need to provide an outfit which is comfortable to wear and is tolerable throughout the period during which it is in use. In other words, comfort should be considered to be a safety factor.
This is not only because an intolerable garment is not worn but also because the use of an outfit which is tiring to wear generally reduces the attentiveness of the person, whereas attentiveness is one of his main protections against accidents. Moreover, uncomfortable and heavy clothing which causes heavy perspiration helps to create the microclimatic conditions which favour heat-stroke.
A further important consideration which should be taken into account in the design of safety outfits is that the classification of the seriousness of a burn depends not only--as has been thought up to now--on the extent and depth of the burn (outfits known up to now provided the same overall protection for all regions of the body) but, above all, on the part of the body which is damaged. Burns of even limited extent in functionally important regions of the body should be considered particularly serious both because they are difficult to cure and because of the incapacitating effects of their failure to recover. This principle is very innovative.
Yet another completely novel basic principle lies in the fact that a protective garment should not nullify the main natural defence which consists of the ability of the skin to feel high temperatures and thus to detect danger.
In other words it is wrong to consider the protection of a person by the provision of an outfit which insulates him as much as possible from the outside environment. In fact, in such an outfit, the person may be in a dangerous situation (for example, with a high ambient temperature) without realising it until there is so much heat that it is transmitted through the outfit very quickly and burns the person before he can escape. It is therefore necessary to ensure that the interval between the reaching of the pain threshold and the reaching of the threshold of irreversible damage is always longer than the person's reaction time.
A protective outfit should have characteristics which make it suitable for the specific situation in which it is used, that is, it should provide the intended protection to all regions of the body exposed to the risk.
Finally, the materials making up the outfit and its construction should of course be flame-proof.